À Punt's 'El retrovisor' Questions Whether Legalising Certain Drugs Could End Drug Trafficking

À Punt's programme 'El retrovisor' will air a debate this Friday, 6th December at 21:45, addressing a discussion that has persisted for over 30 years: whether legalising certain drugs could dismantle drug trafficking networks and improve public safety.

As it does every week, 'El retrovisor' explores a current issue to understand how Valencians have evolved over the past 35 years. This Saturday, 6th December at 21:45, hosts Josep Ramon Lluch and Anaïs Ordóñez will discuss drugs and debate whether now is the time to legalise them.

Just as tobacco and alcohol are legal, some voices suggest that drugs like cannabis, heroin, or cocaine could be legalised by regulating their sale and imposing taxes. They argue that this might help eradicate drug trafficking networks and the black market.

In the 1990s, heroin, cocaine, and alcohol caused societal upheaval and deep social alarm, with families torn apart, streets unsafe, and thousands of young people addicted to drugs that destroyed their lives. The debate on whether legalising certain drugs could strategically combat trafficking networks or the violence they generated was of utmost interest but remained unresolved.

Today, three decades later, the dangers have taken new forms: mobile phones, video games, online gambling, and new synthetic drugs like fentanyl are among the new addictions particularly threatening young people. Amidst this change, the debate on drug legalisation remains open.

These are the main topics of 'El retrovisor' on 6th December, a programme that delves into the archives of our public television from the last 20, 25, or 30 years to show how severe the drug problem was decades ago, comparing that situation with the current moment, with the emergence of new addictions related to social media, mobile phones, or new synthetic drugs.

The programme's guests include Héctor Brotons, a lawyer advocating for drug legalisation; Alfredo López, president of the addiction treatment centre Artic; psychologist Teresa Sanchis, specialising in addiction treatment; Ana María Tébar, a publicist and activist for drug legalisation; and secondary education teacher Sandra Cáceres.

Additionally, the programme will feature testimonies from individuals who have suffered from drug effects and are undergoing rehabilitation, the widow of an alcoholic man with two daughters also affected by alcoholism, as well as the story of a gambling addict and a gamer.